The present invention relates generally to an improved fluid refill pouch for refilling a refillable fluid dispenser and to dispensing systems incorporating such a pouch and dispenser. More particularly, there is disclosed an improved soap refill pouch for refilling liquid soap dispensers and soap dispensing systems incorporating such a pouch and dispenser.
This invention is an improvement upon the soap dispensing system disclosed and claimed in an application for U.S. Patent, Ser. No. 10,013 filed February 7, 1979 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,019 by R. P. Smith for Fluid Injection Pouch and Dispensing System Incorporating the Same, the disclosure of that prior application being incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The present invention also is an improvement upon the soap dispensers and refill systems therefor disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,018,363 granted April 19, 1977 to A. M. Cassia, 4,149,573 granted April 17, 1979 to A. M. Cassia, and 4,173,858 granted November 13, 1979 to A. M. Cassia. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,149,573 and 4,173,858 both show cylindrical containers for liquid soap useful in refilling the soap container of a soap dispenser, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,363 also shows a cylindrical soap container that is incorporated into a soap dispenser to provide liquid soap therefor. Being cylindrical in configuration, the prior liquid soap refill structures are relatively expensive to fabricate and use and also are not economical in the use of storage space during the storage thereof.
The dispenser of the present application is an improvement upon the dispenser disclosed and claimed in the application for U.S. Patent, Ser. No. 150,556, filed May 16, 1980, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,627, corresponding to Italian Patent Application No. 19,346A/80 filed January 21, 1980 by A. M. Cassia for Soap Dispensing System. The present invention provides an improved refill well structure as compared to that of this pending patent application.
There also have been provided heretofore flexible pouches with puncture structure therein and typical structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,849,321 granted August 26, 1958 to Y. Lhermitte et al., 3,220,558 granted November 30, 1965 to M. Lipari, 3,255,923 granted June 14, 1966 to R. H. Soto, and 3,596,801 granted August 3, 1971 to H. C. Barnack. All of these prior pouch systems show a puncture structure disposed within the pouch, rather than a non-puncturing docking adaptor to be used with an external puncturing structure as in the present invention. All of the prior puncture structures within the pouch are essentially circular in cross section and are difficult for a user to handle through the flexible pouch wall, particularly when the pouch contains slippery liquid soap. In addition, there is no showing of any drainage structure in the puncture elements of the prior patents nor are there any suggestions of anti-bootleg structure in the prior patents, all of which are found in the refill bag of the present invention.